FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.33.22

तमेव ध्यायती देवमपत्यं कपिलं हरिम् । बभूवाचिरतो वत्स नि:स्पृहा ताद‍ृशे गृहे ॥ २२ ॥
tam eva dhyāyatī devam
[tam eva dhyaayatee devam]
apatyaṁ kapilaṁ harim
[apatyam kapilam harim]
babhūvācirato vatsa
[babhoovaachirato vatsa]
niḥspṛhā tādṛśe gṛhe
[nihsprihaa taadrishe grihe]
tam — upon Him eva — certainly dhyāyatī — meditating devam — divine apatyam — son kapilam — Lord Kapila harim — the Supreme Personality of Godhead babhūva — became acirataḥ — very soon vatsa — O dear Vidura niḥspṛhā — unattached tādṛśe gṛhe — to such a home.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tam eva dhyāyatī devam
tam
upon Him
eva
certainly
dhyāyatī
meditating
devam
divine
apatyaṁ kapilaṁ harim
apatyam
son
kapilam
Lord Kapila
harim
the Supreme Personality of Godhead
babhūvācirato vatsa
babhūva
became
acirataḥ
very soon
vatsa
O dear Vidura
niḥspṛhā tādṛśe gṛhe
niḥspṛhā
unattached
tādṛśe gṛhe
to such a home.
O Vidura, thus always meditating upon her son, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kapiladeva, she very soon became unattached to her nicely decorated home.

Here is a practical example of how one can elevate oneself in spiritual advancement by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kapiladeva is Kṛṣṇa, and He appeared as the son of Devahūti. After Kapiladeva left home, Devahūti was absorbed in thought of Him, and thus she was always Kṛṣṇa conscious. Her constant situation in Kṛṣṇa consciousness enabled her to be detached from hearth and home.

Unless we are able to transfer our attachment to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no possibility of becoming freed from material attachment. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, therefore, confirms that it is not possible for one to become liberated by cultivation of empiric philosophical speculation. Simply knowing that one is not matter but spirit soul, or Brahman, does not purify one’s intelligence. Even if the impersonalist reaches the highest platform of spiritual realization, he falls down again to material attachment because of not being situated in the transcendental loving service of the Supreme Lord.

The devotees adopt the devotional process: hearing about the Supreme Lord’s pastimes and glorifying His activities and thereby always remembering His beautiful eternal form. By rendering service, becoming His friend or His servant and offering Him everything that one possesses, one is able to enter into the kingdom of God. As it is said in Bhagavad-gītā, tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā: after discharging pure devotional service, one can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead in fact, and thus one becomes eligible to enter into His association in one of the spiritual planets.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
O Vidura! Meditating on her son Kapila, the Supreme Lord, she quickly became detached from that opulent house. This describes the result of meditating on the Lord separation.
The verse points beyond impersonal abstraction to a Lord who hears, acts, and relates. Spiritual life gets real once we stop talking about Him and start talking to Him. The pivot here is Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Reflection Questions
  • Whom do you actually address when you pray — a concept, or a person?
  • What would change if you treated one possession this week as belonging to the Lord and on loan to you?
📝 My note

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